Music-instruction game



AULD LANG SYNE May 12, 1925. 1,53 7,514

J. L. WEEKS MUSIC INSTRUCTION GAME Fil ed Aug. 1924 9 K Si Q w o L N I a Q 0 v v w w H axial 5 35:5 2

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Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES JESSIE WEEKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSIC-INSTRUCTION GAME.

Application filed August 7, 1924. Serial No. 730,625.

7 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jnssm Lun Venus, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVIusic-Instruction Games, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to game boards, and has for its object to provide such boards with means for instructing the players for playing and singing melodies.

A special object is to provide a simple form of game board which will tend to teach the players the difference in the length of the notes used in each melody as well as to familiarize them with the lines and spaces of the musical staff. Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be'first hereinafter described in. connection with the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding. parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a plan view of one end portion of a game board constructed substantially in. accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are detailed views of the blackand white balls used in playing the game, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of a series of cards such as are used in playing the game.

The game board 1 may be made of wood or any other suitable material and is preferably rectangular in shape and may have a colored border 2 aroundits edge,- as indicated in Figure 1. Within said border on the upper face of the board there is indimted a staff on which any given melody is shown by notes, the heads of which are formed by holes or indentations formed in the surface of said board. The holes indi- "ating quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes are formed entirely through the board 1, as indicated at 3, while the holes or indentations indicating half and whole notes are formed only part way through said board, as indicated at 4. The result of this construction is that when the game board is placed on a table or other supporting surface for playing the game the holes 3 which represent the quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes and which extend entirely through the board show up black, while the holes or indentations 4 representing the half and whole notes, and which extend only partially through the board appear as white, thus enabling the players to readily distinguish between them.

In playing the game, a box of black and white balls 5 and 6, Figures 3 and 4, is used with the required number of game boards to be distributed among the players, each player having a separate board and using balls from the box as required. A pack of cards on which are printed notes needed in the game, such as are shown at 7 in Figure 5, is also used in connection with the game which vmav be played in three different ways. Said pack of cards is placed face downward in the center of the table.

The first and simplest method of playing the game, and the one enjoyed by small children who are unable to read, is as follows The first player draws the card on top of the deck and places it face upward on the, table beside the pack. He then finds out if he has the same note as shown on said card in the melody, he holds. No consideration is given to the keys in which the melody is written. If the player succeeds in finding the note in his melody, he places a ball in the indented or perforated space or hole in his game board corresponding thereto, using black balls for the quarter, eighth and sintee-nth notes, and white balls for the half and whole notes. As previously noted, the fact that the holes 3 which extend entirely through the board appear as black, while the holes which extend only partially through the board appear as white, greatly aid the players in finding the proper notes on their boards and in placing the properly colored ball thereon. After placing the ball on the note, in the indented or perforated space on the proper line, the first player then turns over another card from the top of the pack. If it is found that the note again corresponds to one in his melody, he proceeds in the same manner as just explained and may continue until he draws a note which he cannot use. The next player on the left then has a chance to use the card already turned up. After that, he turns over the top card on the pack and the play is continued around the table until one person wins by filling in all the notes of his melody. If the entire pack of cards is turned over before a melody is completed, the new pack built up is then turned face downward and is used over again.

lVhen older children are playing the game, it is found more exciting and at the same time more instructive to require the player to read aloud the name of the note as he turns the card over on the table. When playing this way, careful consideration must be given to the key in whi'chthe melody is written; for example, if aplayer turns up a quarter note on B and places it on B or fvice versa, he forfeits his turn and the note may be taken by the player who notices his mistake. If the player turns up a note which he is able to place but neglects to do i so and passes his turn to the next player,

the player who first notices the neglect may take the note, or if unable to use it, may take from the player in error any note which he can properly place on the melody. If he cannot make use of either, the game is taken up by the next regular player and" is so continued to the end. a

A third method of playing. maybe adopted whenthe lines and spaces are familiarly known to the players. As in the two games already described, the pack of cards is placed face downward in the center ofthe table, and the player turns over the top card. The one who first recognizes the note printed on the card as one belonging to his melody calls 5 Time and thus earns the right of placing the note in'hismelody. He then turns over the next card and the game proceeds in the same way. If a player makes a mistake in calling Time when he could not use the note, the one discovering the error calls Time again and is permitted to use the note if he can. If he cannot,.he may,ias in the second game, take any note desired from the player in error. He then turns the next card and the game proceeds in the regular manner. Y v v The three above described methods of playing games with the apparatus illustrated in the drawings are given by way of example, and it will be understood that va- 'rious other methods of using said apparatus may be employed without departing from the present invention.

I claim V 1 I 1. A game'board having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes formed in thesurface of said game board.

2. A game board having indicia thereon representingthe staff. of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes formed in the surface of said game board,

the'holes indicating certain lengths of notes being formed deeper into the board than those indicating other lengths of notes.

3. A game board having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes formed in the surface of said game board, the holes indicating certain lengths of notes extending entirely through said game board, while the holes representing other lengths of notes extending only partially through said board.

4. A ame board havin indicia thereon a in p :3 representing the start or a melody, the notesv of said melody being indicated by holes formed in the surface of said game board, the holes representing certain lengths of notes appearing as differently colored from those representing other lengths of notes when the board is placed on a supporting surface for use in playing a game.

5.The combination with a game board having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes formed in the surface of said game board, the balls to be placed in said holes for. the purpose specified.

, '6. The combination with'a game board. having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indlcated by holes formed 1n the'surtace of said game board, the balls to be placed n said holes for the purpose specified, a pack of cards bearing notes corresponding to those used in the melody on said board.

7. The combination with a game b ard having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes formed in the surface of said game board. said holes appearing as differently colored when the board is placed on a supporting surface for playing a game, of balls corresponding in color to said holes and adapted to'be placed therein for the purpose specified.

8, The combmation with a game board having indicia thereon representing the staff of a melody, the notes of said melody being indicated by holes' formed in the surface of said game board, said holes appearing as differently colored when the board is placed on a supporting surface for playing a game, of balls corresponding in color to said holes and adapted to, be placed therein for the purpose specified, and a pack of cards bearingnotes corresponding to those used in the melody on sand board.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JESSIE LEE VEEKESQ 

